Why is the NYS Department of Labor unemployment office closed today - need to file weekly claim
I drove 45 minutes to the NYS Department of Labor office in Albany this morning to get help with my weekly claim certification and the building was completely dark with no signs posted. I've been trying to file online but keep getting error messages when I submit my job search activities. My certification is due tomorrow and I'm freaking out that I'll miss the deadline. Does anyone know what's going on with the offices today? Are they closed for some holiday I missed?
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Yuki Kobayashi
Most NYS Department of Labor offices are closed on federal holidays and some state holidays. Today might be Presidents Day or Martin Luther King Day depending on when you're posting this. You can still file your weekly claim online at labor.ny.gov even when the physical offices are closed. The online system runs 24/7 except during maintenance windows.
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AstroAce
•Thanks! I didn't realize it was a holiday. The online system keeps timing out when I try to enter my job search log though. Should I keep trying or wait until tomorrow?
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Carmen Vega
same thing happened to me last week, drove all the way there and it was closed for some training day or something. so annoying they dont update their website
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Andre Rousseau
If you're having trouble with the online weekly claim system, try using a different browser or clearing your cache. Sometimes the job search activity section has issues if you're copying and pasting from a document. You have until 7:59 PM on your due date to submit, so you have more time than you think. Make sure you're logging in through the correct portal at labor.ny.gov, not an old bookmark.
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AstroAce
•I'll try a different browser. I was using Chrome with a bunch of extensions that might be interfering. Do you know if they accept late certifications if there's a technical issue?
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Andre Rousseau
•They usually do if you can document the technical problem, but it's better to get it done on time. Take screenshots if you keep getting errors so you have proof if needed.
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Zoe Stavros
ugh the NYS Department of Labor is so frustrating!! half the time their offices are closed and the other half the phone lines are jammed. i spent 3 hours on hold last week just to ask about my job search requirements
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Jamal Harris
I had a similar issue reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor about my claim status. Tried calling for days and kept getting disconnected. A friend told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real person at the unemployment office. I was skeptical but watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) and decided to try it. Got through to an agent in like 15 minutes and resolved my adjudication issue that had been pending for weeks.
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GalaxyGlider
•interesting, never heard of that before. did they charge you for it?
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Jamal Harris
•Yeah but it was worth it to actually talk to someone instead of spending hours calling and getting nowhere. Way less stressful than dealing with the phone system yourself.
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Mei Wong
Check the NYS Department of Labor website for office hours and closures. They usually post notices about holidays and closures but sometimes it's buried in the news section. For your weekly claim, you should be able to file online even during holidays as long as the system isn't down for maintenance.
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